Sensing the Escape

Heather Haney
STEM High
Feb. 28, 2016

Almost everything that we do, we use at least one of our five senses. For instance,
typing on the computer uses the sense of touch to know where the keys are and the sense
of sight is used to know that the correct work is being typed onto the page. Nonetheless,
the senses are also used in order to provide release from daily stress. Escapism differs on
the different senses and this can be shown through the transmitted signals to brain from
the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, and the sense of taste.
As the brain gives and takes signals from the body, the brain takes the different
messages to the different lobes. The sense of sight is primarily in the temporal lobe,
which correlates to face and object recognition. As the light enters in through the retina, it
divides the light into cone cells and light cells ( N.A., 2016). An example of this was the
infamous dress photo that appeared in late 2015. If you were saw the dress in Black and
blue, it meant the your eyes had seen the cone cells easier than the rod cells. This was
vice versa for if you perceived the dress as white and gold. When the brain then receives
the transmission from the eyes, it takes the light and translated it into an image that we
can understand (N.A., 2016). When we see an image of a place, if it often said, I wish I
was there. A quote states, The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and
instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are (Johnson, 2016). Form
this quote, it is shown how traveling helps us to enable our imagination, although
sometimes we are not able to physically travel there.
Similarly to sight, hearing works by allowing the sound waves through the ear and
into the temporal lobe to the auditory cortex; the waves travel through the ear canal to the
middle and inner portions of the ear. From there, the waves travel through the Cochlea
and into the auditory nerve, which then leads to the brain (N.A., 2016). From here the

message from the sound waves is translated into frequencies, which can then be
interpreted into music or sounds. There is a quote that states, Music produces a kind of
pleasure which human nature cannot do without (Confucius, 2016). From this quote, it
described how without music, our human nature would not be able to survive.
In addition, the sense of taste also takes a part in escaping. There are times where
we smell a familiar food or taste a familiar dish that completely transports us to another
world. There are taste buds on the tongue; these taste buds take genetic information from
the food that is eaten and transports the information to the brain. The information is taken
to the frontal lobe of the brain, which then can translate into messages that correlate to
other messages in different lobes of the brain (N.A., 2016). A quote reads, I get way too
much happiness from good food (Olsen, 2016). This quote shows how food has
provided and outlet of happiness for those in need of an escape.
In conclusion, the senses of sight, hearing, and taste provide vital purposes for the
needs of escapism. Nonetheless, the senses of touch and smell also provide vital roles as
well. My sister has this one candle that she does not light very often and also cannot
purchase in stores anymore. It is a candle that, when lit, reminds her of the times that our
family had spent in Las Vegas at the Aria Hotel. These memories bring her to happier
times and that is the same for all of the sense. Each provides a different use in escapism.

References
Confucius. (n.d.). Quotes About Power Of Music. Retrieved February 28, 2016, from
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/power-of-music
N.A. (n.d.). Smell & Taste. Retrieved February 28, 2016, from
http://www.entnet.org/content/smell-taste
N.A. (n.d.). How does my hearing work? Retrieved February 28, 2016, from
https://www.audiology.org.nz/how-does-my-hearing-work.aspx
N.A. (2015). How Vision Works. Retrieved February 28, 2016, from
http://www.brainhq.com/brain-resources/brain-facts-myths/how-vision-works
Olsen, E. (n.d.). Good Food Quotes. Retrieved February 28, 2016, from
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/good_food.html